Various treatments can be useful for treating a variety of medical conditions, such as coronary heart disease, aneurysm and others. These treatments can often involve intervention with tissue, such as to remove, repair or otherwise treat tissue. For instance, coronary heart disease can sometimes involve heart valve disorders, which can be addressed via intervention techniques in which valves are repaired or replaced.
One manner that has been useful for treating various conditions involves the use of a catheter to enter a patient's arteries and provide access for a variety of techniques. For instance, various procedures can be performed via catheters, such as to repair or remove tissue, or to implant tissue or other devices. One such approach for addressing heart disease involves transcatheter-aortic valve replacement or implementation therapies (TAVR/TAVI). These and other trans-vascular approaches may involve the delivery of artificial or animal flaps/valves to a patient's heart via catheters.
While many treatment approaches have been useful, there have been many challenges to their safe implementation. It is common to introduce, cross and exchange a variety of percutaneous devices such as guide wires, catheters, sheaths, guide catheters, and adjunctive technologies to gain access to and treat a coronary vessel, coronary valve, or other vascular anatomy. These and other approaches to the repair or replacement of tissue can dislodge particles/debris (emboli) which are freed (released) from the vessel walls and structures causing uncontrolled and unprotected floating emboli to move freely. This freed emboli, and freely floating and uncontrolled emboli can be carried distally (away) via the blood stream and cause issues, such as by blocking or occluding coronary, peripheral, and neurovascular vessels. For instance, during the (TAVR/TAVI) procedure, native tissue can be compressed into the aorta wall to make room for replacement devices. This action may cause dislodging or displacement of arterial plaque, calcium, or thrombus as the devices transverse the aortic arch. These particles can have adverse effects, such as by causing a stroke. These and other matters have presented challenges to a variety of treatment approaches.